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So believe it or not, today was the first time I've ever been pulled over, car or bike. So here's the story:
I met my friend at the local park for a run, and she wanted to see the bike, so I rode there. At the park, we went for a quick ride, just on the park roads. I came to a 4 way stop with a cop coming up on my right. I proceeded straight and he made a right behind me. As I was going I saw my other friend running, so I pulled over and was going to wait for the cop to pass and say hi to my friend. The cop, however, pulled over behind me and turned on his lights. I quickly turned the bike off, and took off my helmet, but stayed where I was (like I think you're supposed to). After a little while, I looked back to see what the heck he was doing and he just motioned with his finger that I should come over to his SUV. So my friend gets off, and then I get off and go talk to him. Here's what was said starting with me:
"Sir?"
"What are you doing?"
"...umm taking my friend for a ride."
"Why are you stopped?"
"I wanted to say hi to my friend running (pointed to the guy now way up the road)"
"This is a highway, you can't just stop on it like a parking lot"
"This is a highway?"
"What did you think it was?"
"...just a road."
"Well it's a highway and you can't just stop here. You look like you don't know how to ride. Do you have your license?"
"Yes, sir."
"Permit?"
"No, sir, my license."
"When does your registration expire?" (random)
"November"
"Well you sure look like you don't know how to ride"
"I'm still getting used to having a passenger, so I thought it was a good idea to stay on the park roads to start out."
He then proceeds to get out of the SUV, without another word, and goes and stares down my bike all over. Then,
"Where's your inspection sticker?"
I point it out to him (it's bright yellow and clearly visible on my bike).
"Well you can't stop like that, and you should learn how to ride"
Goes back to his car and drives away.
Now, my rant. WTF?? Having a bit of a power trip are we, statie? First of all, doesn't a state police officer have anything better to do than drive through a park in the middle of a weekday? I saw him a few minutes later just sitting in his SUV in the shade doing nothing. Second, isn't it the intelligent thing to do to practice riding 2 up on quiet park roads where the speed limit is 25 and there is hardly any traffic? Third, what the heck made him think I can't ride and think that he can insult me about it? I don't have vast experience on a motorcycle (license for 1.5 yrs), but I do have vast experience on 2 wheels as a cyclist, and I definitely know how to ride. Also not sure how he made that judgement from watching me go straight at a stop sign, and then pull over. Fourth, since when are you not allowed to pull over??? The park roads have pretty much zero traffic, and there's plenty of room to go around if there were. He took up 3x as much room by stopping behind me. And finally, since when is a park road with no centerline at all, and a speed limit of 25 considered a highway??
Long story short, I got no ticket or anything, and he didn't even ask for any of my papers. He sure was looking for something to throw the book at me for, however, and he looked my bike over almost as well as the inspection mechanic! This type of interaction concerns me. As a law abiding citizen, I should be pleased and comforted when I see a police officer, since I have no intention of breaking laws. However, when sh*t like this happens, it makes me angry that I have no recourse and cannot defend myself from rude accusations for fear of his authority. I didn't think at the time to get his badge number, but in retrospect I really wish I had. What do you guys think? Am I just being touchy here or am I justified in being pissed?
Brings this to mind: "Who will guard the guards themselves?" -Juvenal from Satires
-Dave
P.S. If you actually read all that I don't know whether to be thankful or sorry that you have nothing better to do, but at least it was cathartic to write it.
I met my friend at the local park for a run, and she wanted to see the bike, so I rode there. At the park, we went for a quick ride, just on the park roads. I came to a 4 way stop with a cop coming up on my right. I proceeded straight and he made a right behind me. As I was going I saw my other friend running, so I pulled over and was going to wait for the cop to pass and say hi to my friend. The cop, however, pulled over behind me and turned on his lights. I quickly turned the bike off, and took off my helmet, but stayed where I was (like I think you're supposed to). After a little while, I looked back to see what the heck he was doing and he just motioned with his finger that I should come over to his SUV. So my friend gets off, and then I get off and go talk to him. Here's what was said starting with me:
"Sir?"
"What are you doing?"
"...umm taking my friend for a ride."
"Why are you stopped?"
"I wanted to say hi to my friend running (pointed to the guy now way up the road)"
"This is a highway, you can't just stop on it like a parking lot"
"This is a highway?"
"What did you think it was?"
"...just a road."
"Well it's a highway and you can't just stop here. You look like you don't know how to ride. Do you have your license?"
"Yes, sir."
"Permit?"
"No, sir, my license."
"When does your registration expire?" (random)
"November"
"Well you sure look like you don't know how to ride"
"I'm still getting used to having a passenger, so I thought it was a good idea to stay on the park roads to start out."
He then proceeds to get out of the SUV, without another word, and goes and stares down my bike all over. Then,
"Where's your inspection sticker?"
I point it out to him (it's bright yellow and clearly visible on my bike).
"Well you can't stop like that, and you should learn how to ride"
Goes back to his car and drives away.
Now, my rant. WTF?? Having a bit of a power trip are we, statie? First of all, doesn't a state police officer have anything better to do than drive through a park in the middle of a weekday? I saw him a few minutes later just sitting in his SUV in the shade doing nothing. Second, isn't it the intelligent thing to do to practice riding 2 up on quiet park roads where the speed limit is 25 and there is hardly any traffic? Third, what the heck made him think I can't ride and think that he can insult me about it? I don't have vast experience on a motorcycle (license for 1.5 yrs), but I do have vast experience on 2 wheels as a cyclist, and I definitely know how to ride. Also not sure how he made that judgement from watching me go straight at a stop sign, and then pull over. Fourth, since when are you not allowed to pull over??? The park roads have pretty much zero traffic, and there's plenty of room to go around if there were. He took up 3x as much room by stopping behind me. And finally, since when is a park road with no centerline at all, and a speed limit of 25 considered a highway??
Long story short, I got no ticket or anything, and he didn't even ask for any of my papers. He sure was looking for something to throw the book at me for, however, and he looked my bike over almost as well as the inspection mechanic! This type of interaction concerns me. As a law abiding citizen, I should be pleased and comforted when I see a police officer, since I have no intention of breaking laws. However, when sh*t like this happens, it makes me angry that I have no recourse and cannot defend myself from rude accusations for fear of his authority. I didn't think at the time to get his badge number, but in retrospect I really wish I had. What do you guys think? Am I just being touchy here or am I justified in being pissed?
Brings this to mind: "Who will guard the guards themselves?" -Juvenal from Satires
-Dave
P.S. If you actually read all that I don't know whether to be thankful or sorry that you have nothing better to do, but at least it was cathartic to write it.
